Welcome toCozy Week,??? ?? ?? ??? where we'll curl up by the glow of our screens to celebrate all that's soft in entertainment. Pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa and sit by us as we coo over the cutest games, cry over the tenderest movie moments, and drift off to the most comforting shows. Because it can be a cold world out there, and we need something to keep us warm.
Normally, crying is something that seems like it would be a cozy activity. But when a beloved movie or TV show makes us break out in tears, there's more to it than just feeling sad or relieved.
When a piece of entertainment manages to hit that right note that makes us cry, it means they've done something right. They've managed to wrap us up in their story and characters, creating a world to which we feel deeply connected. When a character is lost, a love is ignited, or someone is staring down seemingly insurmountable odds, it's hard to hold back the waterworks.
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Mashable's entertainment team has decided to share some of the recent times we've cried while just trying to watch a good movie or series and getting caught up in all the emotions.
Stranger Things
These kids just elicit all the feels. Credit: netflix The first season of Stranger Thingsis one of my favorite seasons of television. For a variety of reasons, it hits pretty much every note for me: the horror elements, the tension, the dynamics of the kids and the adults. Around the midway point of the season, I started binging through it and watched the final few episodes back to back. As the fear and suspense ramps up more and more, we finally hit that release when Will is found and the musical swell comes in at the perfect moment.
I was so wrapped up in the show and the characters that when it all came crashing down at the climax, so did I. I cried for my boy Will, which is not something I can say for 99% of characters I meet.
Sex Education
Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) is wrapped up in quite the emotional roller coaster. Credit: sam taylor / netflix For me, Sex Education’s Season 2 finale was tears all the way down. The happy kind: Moordale Secondary wins the quiz championship! The sad kind: Maeve turns her little sister over to protective custody. And, the confusing kind: Eric and Adam declare their love for one another during the hyper-sexual Romeo & Juliet: The Musicalwhile Eric’s other boyfriend Rahim...watches?
This scene made me cry, laugh, scream, and worry like no other in the series. As the vibrant world of Sex Educationcontinues to expand, my emotions about these wonderful characters get more and more complex. Weeks after its release, I’m still mulling over how I feel about Eric, Adam, and Rahim. I just want the best for my passionate sons. Please, oh please. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
There's something about Yondu. Credit: marvel studios There are few films in the universe that make me cry more, or cry more consistently, than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I've seen it about four times now, most recently a few months ago. Each time, without fail, I've broken down weeping in the third act.
Typically it's the big death that sends me over the edge, but not (just) because I'm sorry to see the character go. It's what the moment represents. In a film populated by characters who are desperate for emotional connection, but have little idea how to go about giving, accepting, or expressing it, Yondu's sacrifice is the ultimate expression of love.
SEE ALSO: 22 background noise shows to stream while you're social distancingHe's a cautionary tale and an inspiration, an acknowledgment that it can be really freakin' hard to open up to others, and a reminder that it's worth it. Yondu may be renowned across the galaxy for his toughness, but it's his soft side that destroys me time and time again. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
How do you not cry at the joy of this one true pairing. Credit: Fox Brooklyn Nine-Nineis the rare comedy that inevitably makes me happy cry at least once a season. I remember being caught off guard as I wept in public at Jake and Amy’s engagement, their wedding — and now, their pregnancy. The Nine-Nine’s OTP started Season 7 committing to have a baby, but weeks and months of trying didn’t yield success so they decided to table it. But when unexpected side effects from hormone therapy had Amy concerned in episode 7, “Ding Dong,” she learned the news and told Jake, eliciting my first happy sob of the season: My friends are having a baby. —Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter
Frozen 2
Anna's arc in 'Frozen 2' hits different in the coronavirus times. Credit: disney I didn’t cry when I saw Frozen 2in theaters, though I admit it is a very good Disney sequel. I did cry when I watched it again, a week into social distancing in an effort to flatten the curve of Brooklyn’s COVID-19 outbreak. It was all fun and games for me until Anna sang “The Next Right Thing.” The song is about feeling powerless and knowing that things won’t be the same after a big, devastating event, and the idea that “the next right thing” is the only thing anyone can do in the face of overwhelming change hit different. So I let a few tasteful tears fall down my cheeks a little. This time. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter